John Mankey Riggs
John Mankey Riggs (born October 25, 1811 Seymour ( Connecticut ), † November 11, 1885 ) was an American dentist and is considered the founder of periodontal therapy .
Life
Riggs was born to John and Mary Riggs, nee Beecher. He completed his studies in dentistry at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in 1854. He practiced with Horace Wells in Hartford and concentrated his activities on the treatment of periodontal disease . Riggs first extracted a tooth under anesthesia with nitrous oxide in 1844 . His patient was his practice partner Horace Wells.
Treatment of periodontal disease
The periodontal disease was considered since the launch of its treatment techniques in 1876 Riggs disease called. He was an opponent of the gingival resection , which was practiced at the time, and advocated the removal of tartar including debridement and tooth polishing. He also emphasized the importance of oral hygiene in preventing periodontal disease. Riggs demonstrated his method of conventional periodontal treatment in 1856. He removed debris from teeth with scrapers he had developed himself. He then applied a tincture of myrrh and polished the teeth. He published his method of treating what he called pyorrhoea alveolaris in 1876.
The writer Mark Twain , Riggs sought to treat his periodontal disease, brought Riggs skills in his short essay Happy Memories of the Dental Chair (dt .: Happy memories of the dentist's chair ) on paper.
"Then he put his tool into my mouth, rooted it up under a gum and began to carve. He seemed to fetch away chips of bone the size of my hand. In truth, what he removed could hardly have been seen without a microscope, I suppose - but my imagination is a microscope. If I had been honest enough to speak my mind, I would have said "Ow!" to every dig, and shouted it; but I was ashamed to do that, and so only said "um," in a low voice, and kept back the exclamation point. ... At the end of an hour, something was said about chloroform. I knew I did not need it myself, but I believed my imagination did. ... I could not touch anything to my teeth for several days, they were so supernaturally sensitive. But after that they became as touch as iron, and a thorough comfort. If by some blessed accident my conscience could catch the Riggs disease, I know what I would do with it. "
“Then he put his instrument in my mouth, pushed it deep into my gums, and started carving. It seemed to me that he was pulling out fragments of bone the size of my hand. In truth - I suppose - what he removed was barely visible without a microscope, but my imagination was a microscope. If I had been honest enough to express my opinion, I would have said 'Ow!' At every 'groundbreaking'. exclaimed, but I was ashamed of it and so I just said a 'hm,' in a low voice and held back the exclamation mark. ... After an hour there was mention of chloroform. I knew I wouldn't need it, but I believed my imagination needed it. ... I couldn't touch my teeth for a few days because they were oversensitive. But afterwards they felt iron hard and good. If, through some fortunate circumstance, my conscience caught Riggs disease, I would know what to do with it. "
Individual evidence
- ^ Riggs-Disease , Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster. accessed on May 15, 2016.
- ^ WJ Maloney: A Periodontal Case Report by Dr. SL Clemens. In: Journal of Dental Research. 89, 2010, p. 676, doi: 10.1177 / 0022034510366677 .
- ^ Mark Twain, Frederick Anderson, Lin Salamo, Bernard L. Stein: Mark Twain's Notebooks & Journals, Volume II: (1877-1883) . University of California Press, 1975, ISBN 978-0-520-90553-5 , pp. 53 ( google.com ).
- ↑ dentists twainquotes. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Riggs, John Mankey |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American dentist and researcher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 25, 1811 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Seymour ( Connecticut ) |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 11, 1885 |